Should you bathe/shower in Flint water (or any water)?

Using a public water supply for drinking or bathing, is a decision that each and every one of us have to make every day based on trust, science and other factors.

The trust issue is critical and cannot be underestimated. After what occurred in Flint from 2014 to the present day, if residents decide to never use tap water again for cooking, bathing or showering, who could blame them? Or for that matter, who could blame those making a similar decision after having witnessed (or hearing about) the Flint water crisis? We have met with residents of Washington D.C. who decades after being misled about water safety by CDC, EPA and the local utility DC WASA, will never drink unfiltered tap water again. That strikes us as a perfectly reasonable and rational decision based on life experience. We would never try to “change your mind” on the issue of trust one way or another. We are very upset that certain agencies responsible for water safety in this country, have proven themselves untrustworthy, and we aspire to do better.

In terms of the science, however, certain things are well understood and clear, and other things are not. As we have discussed previously, drinking, bathing, showering and washing hands in water is not a completely risk free activity in Flint (or elsewhere in the United States). How your body reacts to the water can depend on genetics, history of exposure, stress levels, and other factors such as the soaps and shampoos you purchase. So there cannot be one “right” answer.

But a decision to not bathe, shower or wash your hands, increases your risk of contracting other serious sicknesses and disease. Hygiene is very important—it is not just about looking or smelling good. Hand washing not only protects yourself, for example, but it protects people that you work with and that your children play with. This is why many daycares, cruise ships and hospitals emphasize handwashing and hygiene.

Add it all up, for yourself and your family, and you have to make your own personal decision. We would never argue that Flint residents should take baths or showers in Flint water (or any other water), as there are alternatives such as sponge baths with distilled or bottled water which are not uncommon in other parts of the world, or using hand sanitizers in place of hand washing. But we do argue, that there are presently no scientifically valid chemical, biological or physical reasons, why bathing/showering in Flint water today is a riskier activity than in other cities. In fact, given the intensive monitoring of the system by CDC and EPA, it is probably quite a bit safer.

We also argue, that if you stopped (or are thinking about stopping) bathing and showering, because of any of the following false claims that have recently been made:

You have being misled. These issues, should not be part of any equation, that influence your personal decision whether to bathe or shower in present day Flint water.

FlintWaterStudy was founded, to provide clear and honest information, that residents can use to protect themselves and their children, and that others can use to understand the Flint experience. We were the first to demonstrate that Flint water was unsafe from lead, we did the Freedom of Information Act requests that revealed those who were responsible for this manmade disaster, and we will stay vigilant until the Flint Water Crisis is over. We feel it is our duty to call out anyone who abuses science to obfuscate truth or potentially harm residents: that includes the Feds, State, Local or Third Parties. We will defend anyone who wants to be part of the solution, and we will question anyone who is creating problems.

3 thoughts on “Should you bathe/shower in Flint water (or any water)?”

I have appreciated you bringing us all up to speed on the Flint River/Municipal Water issues. I have always felt it was easier to identify a problem than to find a solution. In my estimation, the cavalry is on the way and fresh water is imminent in Flint. The pipeline decision, whoever made it , was a good one.

While it will take time to fix what has been damaged, this is not something unique to Flint. Repairing the damage done across the nation will require time and patience and will hopefully be done, but the primary lesson we should learn, is to not to do what we did before unless it was what is right.

Mistakes can be made by honest and honorable people. Let’s move on and make it right.

Flint Michigan is not unique. Like many other “Rust Belt” Cities in America, all of the infrastructures are really old. Like the other Cities, there are parts of Flint whereas the infrastructures and homes are newer. There are parts of Flint where the test for lead indicated zero lead. There are people that have been drinking and bathing unfiltered tap water with no effects from lead. The actual lead leaching came from a section of Flint where the infrastructures and housing were much older. I do not understand all of the science and therefore I cannot explain it. However, I do know that my wife and I have been using tap water for everything(except drinking)since the crisis began with no health problems.

Sad as it is, and it is indeed sad, the water issues revealed through Flint’s problem have been a wake up call to everyone across the country. I signed up for a google “lead and water” alert and it is remarkable how many articles appear on a daily basis across the country.

As bad as it is, this problem exposed our vulnerabilities to one of the vital resources we take for granted….water. I am grateful to those whom showed the courage to challenge the status quo and bring this problem to light.

We can continue to learn from our mistakes or allow a business as usual mindset to further degrade what is essential to life….our environment.

Flintwaterinfo.com

FlintWaterStudy Research Support Fundraiser

“Thank you to all 1,663 donors who supported our fundraising campaign and helped us recover some of our Flint cost! We will use this for similar work in the future. Donors -- we will send you a private note of Thank You as well." - The Virginia Tech Flint Team

Fundraising Campaign to buy lead filters for Flint residents

We thank the 68 generous contributors who helped raise $4,345 through our SafeWater4Flint fundraising campaign.The funds have been donated to the United Way of Genesee County who are spearheading filter distribution in Flint. You can donate directly to United Way on their donation page here.